Northern China's Shanxi province has achieved a milestone by surpassing 20 GW in total photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity as of the end of July, according to local power grid operator.
The installed PV capacity hit 20.18 GW by end-July, representing 19.2% of the province's overall grid-connected power generation capacity, said the State Grid Shanxi Electric Power Company on September 1.
In response to this rapid growth in PV capacity, Shanxi has been channeling its efforts into grid infrastructure, energy storage, and load management. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period (2021-25), the province plans to build 16 new energy collection stations. Presently, three of these stations are already operational, boosting the province's capacity for integrating new energy sources by 2.6 GW.
Notably, Shanxi boasts the distinction of being the first in the country to launch a continuous trial operation of a bilateral electricity spot market. This spot market, now in operation for 29 consecutive months, has proven instrumental in price discovery and facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources.
Shanxi's PV generation output kept setting new highs in 2023. On August 16, the province's PV capacity utilization surpassed 14 GW for the first time in history. On August 31, it reached 14.93 GW, setting yet another record and accounting for nearly half of the province's electricity demand at that moment.
(Writing by Alex Guo Editing by Emma Yang)
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